The Whole, Happy Family
by over.grown.hobbit
Summary: Disregards DMC and AWE. Bootstrap Bill is alive, uncursed, and working for the insane Norrington. Elizabeth is being held captive by said lune.  Jack and Will are on their way to save the day.
1. Dad and Mom

Disclaimer: I am not Disney, they own everything... Not me.

"'Ello there lad, why so sad," she asked the young man. "The name's Scarlet O'Hara. I think there may be more in there, but it's just too many to remember. So I just stick with O'Hara. Anyway, what's a handsome young sailor, such as your self, doing in Tortuga all by your oncy savy?" The young man nodded absently. He seem too depressed about something and obviously wasn't going to start pouring out his heart in the middle of this crowded tavern.

"What did you say your name was? Scarlet right?" The man had suddenly come to his senses. Whatever was in that jack of his seemed to only slow him, not put him out for the count entirely.

"Aye, that's what they be callin' me. Why you be askin' lad?"

A dark look crossed the young man's face. "Do you know Captain Jack Sparrow?"

"Aye, of course. Every girl in these parts knows Cap'n Jack. Rather well, I might add." Just then the door flew open with a great crash. "Speak of the devil. Bar-keep, a bottle of your finest Rum for the Good Cap'n Jack."

"Now lass, best be careful with that word now. If someone heard you say that they'll think I've gone soft." This was followed by a few choice pokes and some shrill giggles. "Now where be that Rum you promised, Scarlet?"

"Right over here Captain. But there's some one here to see you first." She stepped aside so Jack could see Will sitting at the bar. "What's wrong Jack, it looks like you've just seen a bloody ghost." Jack nodded absently.

"William Turner is that you? I thought you'd headed for the gallows after that wee stunt we pulled in Port Royal a while back." said Jack, a bit confused. He opened his mouth to say more, but was suddenly cut off. The young man had leapt to his feet and slammed the pirate against the wall. The entire tavern was stunned into silence.

"What have you done with Elizabeth?!" the sailor shouted.

"I've done nothing with her, Will. Now if you'll let me down…" With this, he gave a well aimed shove and Will slid to the floor. "We can set to business. Now Scarlet, be a good lass, fetch some more rum and another cup for Master Turner here!" Jack reached down to help Will up, but was pushed aside by said disgruntled man.

"Jack," started Will. The pirate gave him a hard look that said very plainly 'not now.' Slowly the noise level of the tavern returned to the level it was before Jack's arrival. Jack lead Will and Scarlet to a secluded table in the near the back door of the tavern that was just cleared out for them.

"Now," said Jack, sitting down. "Now we can talk. If I have heard you right, you're saying that I've stolen you're Elizabeth away for me own nasty little pleasures."

"Are you saying you didn't have anything to with this?"

"That's what I'm sayin'. Tell me why I would steal her when I have dozens of younger, prettier things throwing themselves at me." As if cued by those words, young girl wearing a dress that she was practically bursting out of appeared out of nowhere. "See," said Jack rather smugly.

"I saw one of your crewmen board my ship and then slip off proding Elizabeth with a pistol back toward the _Pearl_ two nights ago," said Will with obvious effort to keep his temper under control.

"I wasn't even in port two nights ago Will. What be the name of that ship of yours?"

"The _Swann_. I had it built meself. The living quarters are a little larger than on an average ship. I couldn't keep Elizabeth in a six by eight foot cell. I couldn't do that to our son, either."

* * *

Elizabeth sat on the bed, eyes bloodshot from crying. There was a polite knock at the door. This was not the first time she had been taken from the ones she loved. Three years ago, as you know, Elizabeth was taken from her home of Port Royal. Elizabeth didn't answer the knock at the door. A man burst in any way. "I see you've finally stopped your blubbering," he said. "Good the master was getting worried. Well, I've got a new gown for you to wear. The Master doesn't like to see ladies in trousers." Elizabeth didn't move. "Come on now, you want to look nice for your host now don't you," trying to play on her up bringing. It didn't work though. Elizabeth did get up and off the bed, but she picked up the dress and threw it out the window.

"Come now, that isn't the proper thing to do now is it?" said a man at the door.

"Master, I tried, she wouldn't move," sniveled the servant.

"That is quite enough," said the Master. "Go down to the seamstress's shop and bring her back here. Miss. Elizabeth obviously doesn't like my gift." The man stepped into the light. Elizabeth gasped

"Commodore Norrington!" she said.

"Yes Elizabeth, but I am no longer Commodore. Some of the methods I used for the capture of Jack Sparrow were not as proper as the Royal Navy wanted."

"Why did you bring me here?"

"Simple, your William will come to get you and Jack will inevitably follow. I must catch him." The former Naval officer had a deranged look in his eyes. Something wasn't right and Elizabeth knew it wasn't going to be good for her, or Will. Sooner than expected, the servant returned with the seamstress and the two men left. Norrington and his weasel like footman left the woman folk to their fabric.

"What's wrong miss?" asked the seamstress as she slipped a white dressing gown over Miss Swann's head.

"They're going to use me as bait for my husband and his friend. I can't do a gull darned thing about it." Elizabeth stomped her foot. It was a helpless gesture, but at the moment, it truly did make her feel better.

"Do hold still miss, I'd hate to prick you. And you're not helpless, miss. I can look for your men folk and warn them about the Master's plan."

"You would do that for me. We don't even know each other." Even the dimmest of people could hear the note of pleading in her voice.

"Well, I won't do this for free."

"Name your price," Elizabeth eagerly replied. Fresh tears filled her eyes.

"You and I are going to get along just fine… Please hold still, I hate working on a moving target." Elizabeth, unfortunately, did not see the unstable expression that crossed the seamstress' face.


	2. Son and Grandpa

"You want me to what?!" cried Elizabeth.

"It's very simple; give me your baby. Who, I might add, is right over there in the cradle. You and your 'usband can be reunited. What don't you understand?" replied the desperate seamstress

"The part where you take my child away from me. I am his mother, you would take a boy away from is mother!?" Elizabeth was more than outraged by this.

"Why, yes I would. It's either both you and I loosin' the ones we love, or just you loosing your baby for 'bout a month." The seamstress paused for a short while, Elizabeth face was very pale. She had lost all ability to show emotion, her face looked as if it had been turned to stone. The seamstress went on; "I've 'ad this plan formulated ever since I over heard the Ex-Commodore say 'e would do anythin' to get Jack Sparrow."

"Captain Jack Sparrow," Elizabeth corrected absently.

"Fine. I told 'im that I would come up with a plan if… umm, 'e gave me somethin' to do that evenin'. Well 'e did, an' I told 'im 'e 'ad to get you then William would follow. 'e was a bit thrown off by that one, with 'im being a bit off an' all. I told 'im that William is most likely goin' to enlist the 'elp of Sparrow. Well, I don't even want to know the details of what happened after that, and I was there. I gave birth to a son nine months later. That's where you come in. Mine was a still birth an' I can only carry out me plan with a live child. Now, hand 'im over."

Elizabeth felt numb. She couldn't give up her one and only child. Then something hit her, keeping her face in the same emotionless expression, she handed her child over and crumpled to the floor. The seamstress screamed, she wasn't expecting that. A guard came running in.

"What's happened here?" asked to young soldier.

"She said somethin' 'bout not wantin' the babe anymore and handed 'im over t' me. Then she done fell over. She look mighty feverish, you may want to check her for plague." At the last word of the sentence, the guard rushed out and didn't say a word to anyone. The seamstress left wordlessly, cooing to the babe in her arms.

Once everyone had left Elizabeth got up from her false faint. She poked her head out the door, with that same emotionless expression on her face. "Could you send for Mister Norrington, please?" she whispered. Acting as faint as she possibly could, she walked back into her room, stumbling just a little, sat on her bed and stared blankly at the white washed wall. The Ex-Commander burst into her room, his expression full of concern.

"What happened?" he asked almost gently. Wordlessly, Elizabeth pointed to the empty cradle. "Where is Jacob? Where is your son?" The former navy officer was reddening rapidly as his temper rose. Elizabeth, feigning speechlessness pointed out the door. "What, did he walk out the door?" She shook her head furiously and once again and pointed out the door. Norrington caught on and called for the seamstress to be returned. He crossed the room back to the stricken young lady. He held her close. Elizabeth stiffened at his touch, and no that wasn't part of her act, she really couldn't stand this man. He released her. With a sigh of longing, disguised as a sigh of relief, he moved her so her back was against the head board of the bed. "She took your baby?" Norrington asked her. She nodded, looking as mournful as she could; she knew that she would be reunited with her adorable son within a matter of hours.

* * *

As the sun rose the next day, Elizabeth put her newly formulated plan into motion. She sat in as still as she could staring into space, keeping her face as emotionless as possible. The night before had not gone well. When the seamstress had returned at the bidding of Norrington, it was without Jack Jr. Elizabeth could not bare the empty cradle by her bed. So she threw it out the window. (Un) fortunately it landed two glorious inches away from the just leaving seamstress. She gave a small squeak when the wooden bed landed beside her. The strange thing was Helen, the seamstress, didn't turn around to see who threw the cradle. 'Something is not right,' thought Elizabeth.

On his daily over looks of his manor, Norrington looked in on his love. She sat there, not moving, hardly breathing, staring into oblivion. A pang of guilt shot through him. 'She wasn't supposed to have a child,' he thought. 'It had to be taken away. For its own safety.' Reassured by his own thoughts, the ex-commodore walked on. He hadn't gotten more than fifteen steps away from Elizabeth's door when a crash of the window being thrown open and broken stopped him in his tracks.

Elizabeth started screaming out the window. "Helen you bring back my baby boy right now, or I'll have Daddy's guards after you in a heart beat" Other windows outside were thrown open loudly to see what all the commotion was. In reality, there was no one in the courtyard below the window. Norrington ran into the room.

"Elizabeth, calm down" he chided. "I'm sure your baby will be fine." Elizabeth turned and with an odd look in eye, she slapped him right across the face.

"If Will or Jack were here, they would be out looking for my poor baby, not here sitting on their thumbs" she screeched, her voice going up an octave. "Well," she said expectedly. Norrington just stood there still trying to recover for the fact that he was just hit by a woman. "What are you going to do?!" Then the ex-commodore did the most despicable thing he could have done, he pulled her in close and kissed her rather soundly on the mouth. Not only did Elizabeth slap him for this, she also shoved him off her with her knee in his… well I bet you know where. Norrington fell to the floor like a used towel.

Feigning a fainting spell Elizabeth, too, fell to the floor just as the guards rushed in. Norrington, in an increasingly unstable state, tried to have Elizabeth hanged. Thankfully the guard couldn't see his reasoning. They escorted the gibbering ex-officer back to his quarters.

An older man came into Elizabeth's room and helped her to her bed. He looked so familiar, but she couldn't quite place him. As the man was leaving, it hit her. Elizabeth gave a tired little squeak and he came right back to her bad side. She sat up to give him a hug. "I knew you would come for me Will" she whispered. The man pulled away.

"No one has called me Will in many years" he said quietly. His eyes were hazy, like he hadn't seen a happy day in many years. "Can I get you anything, Ms. Swann?" he asked. She shook her head and smiled a weak, little smile. The man returned the smile with a little more strength. He glanced at the door and sat down on the bed next to Elizabeth. He enfolded her in an embrace that only a father was capable of.

Then something crossed Elizabeth's mind. She looked again into those weary eyes. "What is your name?" she whispered.

"Bill" he replied. "Just Bill."

"No, you said earlier Will. Please, I won't tell anyone. You look so much like my husband." The man looked apprehensive.

"William," said the man. "My name is William Turner." Elizabeth gaped; she wasn't expecting a response so soon. That gasp turned into a sob, William looked concerned. "Are you going to be alright, miss?"

"I'm not sure, dad."


	3. Unknowing Uncle

"Congratulations, lad," yelled Jack. "Scarlet, be a good lass and get another round for the proud new dad!" The woman disappeared, heading toward the bar with Jack's coin. Nothing could keep the smile of a proud father from creeping over Will's face. He took the drink that Jack offered him and downed it in one gulp. Moments later, the fatherly glow was gone, a stoic expression of focus replaced it. Even through his now semi-drunken gaze, Jack knew there would be no getting out of this until he could prove is innocence. "So much for a drunken celebration," Jack sighed. "So, what've you got in your head what says I'm the mastermind behind the ab-duck-shun of your bonnie lass?"

"I was coming out of an inn at Port Royal; Elizabeth didn't want to go to her father's house yet. Anyway I could see the _Swann_ from the doorway. I saw one of the middies from the _Pearl_ go aboard my ship and come ashore with my wife and son. I even know the mangy cur's name. I killed him a few times."

"What!?" spat Jack. "I don't know how much you've had to drink, but a man can only die once."

"I know that Jack. The man was cursed when I tried to kill him!"

"Then why are you blamin' me?! Those men were Barbossa's business, an' Norrington hanged most of them after I was on me way." The drunken Captain paused. "That's it!!" exclaimed Jack slapping his hand on the table. "Norrington. He must have saved a few of Barbossa's men from the noose so they could the dirty work he couldn't send his red coated fancies to do. An' I thought 'im t' be a honorabible man." Jack drained his mug just as Scarlet returned with yet another bottle of rum. Jack pulled her into his lap and they began to exchange dirty jokes that had Scarlet blushing like a school girl. It wasn't long before a whispered exchange and the two made to go up to the rooms above the tavern.

Will was stunned. The commodore had obviously been in love with Elizabeth or he wouldn't have gone through all the mess three years ago. Why, then, did he have her kidnapped now? Then it hit Will like a hurricane gale. "Jack," called Will to the pirate who was following a scantily clad woman up the stairs. "Know where we can find Elizabeth!!!" Jack sighed heavily, rolled his eyes and tapped Scarlet on the shoulder and said that they would have to take a rain check on their… play time. He jumped over the stair rail and landed heavily on the floor of the crowded tavern. After regaining his balance, Jack strutted over to the table where Will was sitting.

"So… Are you going to tell me what that crooked, honest mind of yers has cooked up or not?" said Jack angry.

"Yes. It's all your fault. Norrington took my wife to get to you." There was a brief pause while Jack got his eyes to focus on Will's face.

"How's that? She's yer wife."

"Norrington thinks I won't come without help. And who would I go to for help?" Jack looked around and pointed to a fellow sleeping soundly in a dark corner. "No, I don't even know him. You, the famous Captain Jack Sparrow. He who can get out of any situation. So, what you think we should do?"

"Stay here and wait for ol' Norry to let 'er go."

"No dice. You and I are going to Port Royal in _your_ ship and we are going to rescue Elizabeth and Jack Jr."

"So you think you gonna commandeer me ship. That won't happen, mate. I just got 'er back. Davy Jones 'im self won't take it from me."

"No you'll come willingly."

"Why's that? What have you got to offer?" Jack looked pointedly at Scarlet who was talking to the girl who fell into Jack's lap earlier. Will just smiled and gave Jack a shove toward the door.

Once outside, Will took Jack to go back to the _Pearl,_ while he went to roundup what crew members he could. Jack was grateful for about two minutes. It was then that he realized that Will had given him an order, and he had actually obeyed.

"I'm the captain here," muttered Jack on his way back to the _Pearl_. "And why the hell can't he take 'is own bleedin' ship?" Will had told him that he had a plan that couldn't be said in the tavern, too many ears. Jack walked up the gangplank muttering to himself about love and women. Once aboard, Jack felt a stinging slap across his face. "What the bloody hell was that for?!" exclaimed Jack rubbing the coloring hand shaped splotch on his left cheek.

"You're not alone Captain," said Ana Maria smoothly. "I heard you mumbling from below decks. I'm afraid I took offence to that last comment."

"Where's the rest of the crew?" asked Jack looking around the deck to find only a handful of men lounging about in coils of rope.

"Off getting soused, no doubt." She gestured to the docks.

"Where are they Ana Maria?"

"I just told you, in the taverns or the beds of the local chambermaids and Lords wives, but I don't know exactly. Thank God for that, really."

"Well send a ships boy to find them, all of them. We're leaving with the morning tide." Then Jack stomped off toward his cabin saying something about needing another drink.

"Captain, why are we leaving?" Ana Maria yelled after him.

"Love," came the answer drifting on the evening fog.

Ana Maria gave a sigh of mixed emotions. After that thing a couple of years ago with that Turner boy, she completely fell head over heels for the man. Feelings that she had kept at bay for years surfaced and would not leave this time. She had to talk to him, so after sending a pack of ship's boys for the crew she walked up to the aft cabin with one thing in mind.

There was a knock at the door of Jack's cabin. He rolled his eyes, 'Probably Ana Maria wondering which ship's boy to send after the crew,' he thought. He opened the door to see Ana Maria just as he had thought, but it was plain to see she wasn't there to talk about ship's boys. "Can I help you?" asked Jack.

"You could ask me in, you know."

"Okay then, come on in my lady," Jack bowed her in. Ana Maria walked in some what stunned by the pirates change in actions. "Can I offer you a drink? We have rum, rum and… more rum."

"I'll have… umm… rum please." This friendly conversion was so out of character for either of them, they shocked themselves. Jack went to the cabinet where he kept his rum and found nothing.

"Why is the rum gone?" asked Jack to no one in particular. Ana Maria walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. Jack was shocked into stillness, in a move that couldn't have been preformed better by a sober man and danced out of the arms encircling him.

"And what can I do for you, my lovely little thing?" asked Jack taking a seat behind a table and motioning for Ana Maria to do the same. She didn't sit though. She walked around the table and covered his mouth with hers. "I think I know exactly what to do for that," said Jack, touching the side of his nose with his index finger.

Moments later, Will walked on board the _Black Pearl_ followed by the rest of the ship's crew in varying stages of drunkenness. The ship gave a small lurch, some of the crew stayed up right, barely. The other part of the crew was not so lucky. Groans filled the air around the _Pearl's_ men tried getting up. The wind had picked up a bit and with that the waves began to rock the ship. More groaning and foul words arose over the deck of the _Black Pearl_. The only man sober enough to stay standing was Will; being alone with his thoughts during the walk to find the crew had brought him back to his senses. The young man search the decks for Jack, but the pirate was no were to be seen. Will walked up to the aft cabin and knocked on the door (always proper, that Will). There was the sound of people struggling with each other to get to the door. Jack, clutching a piece of canvas around his middle, opened the door and rolled his eyes at ol' dependable Will standing there. "Couldn't this have waited five minutes?"

"Do you want to know my plan or not?"

"Wait, I'll… we'll be right with you. You should've told me in the tavern, it is my ship after all."

Will smiled at the door as it slammed in his face. "Get up you dogs!!" Will shouted at the crew. "We sail with the morning tide."

"Oi! You ain't the captain!" yelled a particularly soused sailor.

"For this voyage, I am." The sailor looked like he was ready for a fight, but one look from the pissed off Will, the sailor backed down.

"Who said you were?" Jack emerged from the cabin still buttoning his shirt. Right behind him came a well satisfied Ana Maria tying red sash around her middle. Some of the crew gawked at her; other gave loud cat calls and congratulations to their captain. Ana Maria chose to ignore these, she was second in command, no matter what happened between her and Jack, they still had to do what she ordered.

"We're going to Port Royal boys," said Will. Ana Maria just shook her head. 'Here we go again,' she thought.

"Captain, I told Turner that he could take command this round." Jack rounded on her.

"What the blood hell are you talkin' about, Ana?"

"You owe me a ship, if I am not mistaken. That be a mighty big favor there Jack. So, I gave the Pearl to Turner until he gets Elizabeth back. That can be how you return said favor." Ana had her back the crew so they couldn't see the look she was giving Sparrow. One that said there is something a little more in it for him. It took time, but eventually the pirate caved and was rewarded with an unfortunately chaste kiss.

They were days out to sea, and Will had yet to present his grand ideas to the rest of the crew. A few sailors were even talking mutiny against him; Jack was one of them.

"Where the bloody hell is he!" shouted Jack. "This was his bloody idea and his bloody plan, which I might add, I still don't know!" The door creaked open revealing a pale cabin boy standing at attention.

"Sir," piped the boy. "We've found Master Turner."

"Well…" said Jack impatiently. "Where is the yella bellied pain in my poop deck!"

The cabin boy's reply was drowned out by a loud clatter of something falling outside the cabin. Luckily for the cabin boy and whom ever dropped the clattering something, the captain heard what the cabin boy had said and strode out of the cabin towards the (I have decided to have some technical difficulties in this very spot for some devious reason or another.)

Will looked toward the dark smudge that had just appeared on the horizon. "We're so close," he thought aloud to himself. For a moment he stood pondering his plan. 'I really should tell Jack the rest of the plan,' he thought, for real this time. Will began to shift his feet to turn around when he felt the cold bite of pointed steel on the small of his back.

"Turn 'round," said a gruff voice. Will did this, but as he did he drew his sword. Before Jack knew what was happening, he was disarmed and pined to the deck with Will's sword at his throat. "Drawin' your sword on the captain again, young Mas'er Turner?" asked Jack in a patronizing voice.

"No sir," replied Will flintily. "I drew my sword on an old friend who was about to make a grievous mistake." Will's eyes flashed in warning. "Why would I draw a sword on myself?" he added.

"Don't you worry, Cap'n," said Jack slapping Will unnecessarily hard on the back. "You'll have your bonnie lass back in your arms in no time at all, and I'll have me ship back in mine. Now before I leave, what the devil are you doing on the bow spirit?"

"I needed to think."

"Oh… What does that have to do with the price of peanuts in Singapore?" Will looked bewildered.

"Nothing, whenever I need to think I go to the highest place I can. I figured the riggin' and the Crow's Nest were taken. So, I came up here."

"Well, that is about the strangest thing I have ever heard in my life. On the other, hand you are the strangest person I have ever meant in my life so it fits. So… umm are you ever going to tell me the rest of your plan involving my ship and my crew and not yours?"

"Yes, when we near Port Royal, have you're man at the tiller veer west twenty degrees. There's a small harbor, just big enough to fit the _Pearl_. We'll hide there then you and I will head out for the town on foot."

"Why not just take the whole blooming town by force?"

"First, I didn't think you wanted holes in your ship. Second, I have a feeling that Norrington might just do something incredibly stupid if we try something like that. Third, I need to talk to an old friend."

"Okay, why is it going to be just you and me? Can't we take a few of Barbossa's escaped men as expendables?"

"No, I don't want to shed too much blood. If all goes well, then a sword need not be drawn."

"Then pray that all does not go well." Jack smiled devilishly at that last statement.

"If you're not careful with this little venture, you, my friend will end up back in the gallows." Jack was taken aback by this. It was true if he did ever show his face in Port Royal he would be clapped in irons and in the gallows before he could say "Parlay". Why then was Will so intent on getting him to go to that very place unaccompanied?

"Jack!" shouted Will waving his hand in front of Jack's face. "Did you fall asleep with our eyes open again?" Jack shook his head still looking slightly bewildered. "Well, I'm going below to work things out and try to get some sleep."


	4. Grandpa's Story

_The crew gave a great cheer when the cannon hit the water. A few men lingered to watch their last hindrance disappear into the briny depths._

_Bill awoke upon impacted in time to inhale a gallon of sea water. The cannon was dragging him down. With a great effort, he managed to take a deep breath and dove to attack the thick knots binding him to the cannon. Unable to untie them he struggled out of his favorite pair of boots and swam to the surface. He took another great gulp of air and dove again to avoid being seen by the murderous crew aboard his former place of employment. He swam to a rock jutting out of the water and took shelter on a small shelf on its back side. Once the ship was out of sight, Bill began to swim for shore. _

_"At least I'll be dry when I die," he thought aloud as he reached the shore. Panting he fell and just lied there attempting to catch his breath. After a while he rolled over and looked around the island. It looked eerily familiar. Then it hit him, this was the island the crew of the ship he was just thrown off of had marooned the captain on. He walked around the island and found the captain face first in the sand, snoring soundly. Bill thought of waking the snoozing pirate but then thought better of himself, figuring that the captain would must likely strangle him if awakened._

_Bill began to pace around a group of young palm trees. On one of his passes he stumbled. He thought it must have been a root that tripped him. "Palm tree's roots don't grow near the surface," he murmured. He looked and there, quite plainly, was a trap door in the middle of a deserted island. He opened the door praying that nothing jumped out of the hole and kill him, something thought not to be common among his kind. Nothing did. Instead Bill found something that would make both him and Jack very happy for a long while. Rum._

_"It must a Rum Runner's cash," thought Bill out loud. "I've got rum, now all I need is someone to drink it with." He climbed out of the hole and kicked Jack awake._

_"What the bloody hell are you doing Barbossa?" he shouted. (It was last thing he was going to say before he was thrown over board.) "Wait a tick," Jack spotted Bill. "You're not Barbossa. Bill? What, did you actually stand up to that mutinous bastard?"_

_"Surprisingly, I did." Bootstrap Bill Turner sat down heavily on the beach next to the former captain. "You were a good captain for the most part. If they wanted you dead they should have shot you. Apparently, they really didn't care if you died or not. I did try to kill him; he wasn't too fond of that so he tried to kill me instead. I should be sleepin' with the fishes any time now." Jack stood up and stretched the kinks that had formed in his back from sleeping on the sand. Bill followed suit; but instead of stretching, he walked over to where he found the trap door._

_"You did all that for me? I didn't know you cared mate," said Jack inching closer to Bill. With a great shove, Bill threw Jack back to the ground. As Jack attempted to heave himself off the ground, Bill began to jump up and down between two pine trees. "Oi, Bill, I don't think there be any rabbits on this God forsaken spit of land, what are you jumpin' for?!"_

_"You'll see in a minute and you really will love me." Bill bent over and pulled at the trap door once more and disappeared inside. Jack sat there dazed and blinking. It was only when Bill came back up with two large bottles of rum did Jack's slightly befuddled mind comprehend what the significance of the island was._

_"You were right Bill, I do love you," slurred Jack after he took several gulps of rum._

"And for the next threes days, Jack and I drank ourselves stupid." Elizabeth sat there; hanging on to every word Bill told her. "When the Rum Runners came, I bartered passage for us to Tortuga. Jack was intent regaining control of the _Pearl,_ but I wanted nothing to do with it. So, after making him swear on pain of death he would never tell a soul that I was alive, I made my way back to the Isla de Muerta to see if I couldn't lift the damned curse. I just couldn't do it. I gave up all hope of being free of the damned thing. I worked my way to Port Royal. It was there that the former commodore took me on as a stable hand. Not exactly the type of work I was looking for, but at the time it was the best thing that I could get." Bill paused for a moment, wondering if he should go on. "I laid down the life of a pirate. Nothing good ever came out of it. I left my wife and son for it, and I lost them. And the only true friend I ever had is most likely half way around the world by now."

Unable to contain herself, Elizabeth wrapped her arms around the old man. He was her only comfort, the only part of her family she could see. 'Probably the last,' she thought.

Slowly, Bill returned the embrace. He knew that this woman was bait for Jack, and he hoped whole heartedly that said lush would stay where ever he was. The thought that Jack could be on his way to his destruction shook him, not as much as what Elizabeth had called him earlier. He brushed it off as a bit of confusion on her part. After all, she had just lost her only son, and her husband could be in great danger. But there was some small nagging part of him that said it was no mistake. Her embrace spoke of familiarity, like she held someone known to her.

'Could this Will Turner I've heard Norrington babbling about be my son?' thought Bill. 'William Turner is a common enough name, I know of at least two other than myself who aren't my son.'

Bill pushed his worry aside and focused on comforting the young woman in her moment of need. He felt content. More than could be said for the past couple of decades.


End file.
